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A West Coast premiership player has requested a trade.
Plus two players linked with moves to Collingwood have spoken out on their futures and the latest on returning Irishman Conor McKenna’s plans.
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EAGLES PREMIERSHIP PLAYER WANTS OUT
Junior Rioli has requested a trade to Port Adelaide, leaving West Coast “bitterly disappointed”.
The Eagles small forward met with the Power last week, having a coffee with staffer and AFL great Shaun Burgoyne, flagging he “hoped” to join the club.
The SA club handed out a more lucrative offer and the security it provides has convinced Rioli to leave the club.
“If I do leave, it’s not ‘cos I don’t like the club, it’s like any workforce – if you’re going to get paid somewhere else better or you’ve got a longer stint somewhere, you’re going to move not just for yourself but for your family,” he said last week.
But his request for an exit has clearly upset the club, with CEO Trevor Nisbett barely concealing his frustrations in a statement.
Rioli served a two-year ban for doping, following a lengthy legal process, after tampering with a urine sample and using cannabis.
“We could not have done any more to support Junior since his infraction in 2019,” Nisbett said.
“We facilitated his appeal and subsequent return to football, so this decision is ‘bitterly disappointing.’
“We will put that disappointment to one side now and work to arrange a suitable trade for a player who has high end talent, is a premiership player and is in the prime of his career, having played just 51 games of senior football.
“Junior has made his decision and while he has indicated Port is his preferred destination we will work to get the best outcome for our club.”
Rioli’s departure also upset club figures such as Xavier Ellis, who argued he owed the club after they stuck by him when he was banned for two years for doping.
“I’ll tell you what would make you comfortable – getting paid for two years when you’re banned for two years, that would make you pretty comfortable,” Ellis said on Triple M Radio.
“Not having to pay for your QC fees of your cases that you’ve had the last two years, to have them waived. That would make me feel a bit comfortable.
“Rioli, I think you owe West Coast.
“You might get a better deal at Port, but what West Coast’s done for you over the last three years – you’ve played in two victories in the last three years. I think he owes West Coast something.
“Not many players owe football clubs anything – it’s a business deal, it is literally: ‘shake hands, I perform a contract’ – it’s much deeper here.
“Of course was banned for two years, twice tampered with drug samples, pled guilty for drugs in an airport and has freely moved back and forth around WA back home more than any other player on the list the last few years as well.
“I think he owes it to West Coast to stick it out.”
Rioli is currently known as Junior following the tragic passing of his father who shared the same first name. Avoiding referring to or naming a deceased person by name directly after their death is a mark of respect in Indigenous culture.
“After the passing of senior W.Rioli, we’re referring to our premiership forward as ‘Junior’ Rioli for the next 12 months,” West Coast said at the time.
“This is respecting, and following, cultural protocols.”
INCOMING PIES SPEAK OUT
Brisbane’s Dan McStay and Adelaide’s Billy Frampton have both spoken out on their futures amid links to Collingwood.
Reports emerged last month that the Magpies were likely to land all three of McStay, Frampton and Bobby Hill this trade period in what looms as a busy off-season for the club, having also been linked to Tom Mitchell and Brayden Fiorni, while Brodie Grundy and Jordan De Goey’s fates remain uncertain.
McStay, an unrestricted free agent, has been most strongly linked to Collingwood on a five-year deal worth around $3 million.
But the 27-year old remains focused on the Lions’ post-season campaign ahead of Friday night’s preliminary final clash with Geelong, and says he’s unfazed by the outside noise.
“Just keep speculating, do whatever you want,” McStay told reporters on Tuesday with a laugh.
“I didn‘t really read or hear much about it. I don’t have any social media or watch those shows.
“It doesn‘t really faze me. People are going to talk, people are going to speculate … let them do that and I’ll just focus on my footy and I’ve felt like the last few weeks I’ve let my footy do the talking.”
Meanwhile Frampton, who’s also out of contract but not eligible for free agency, has had his exit interview at the Crows as he weighs up his next move.
“I wouldn’t mind sticking around,” the 25-year old told News Corp.
“I love the boys, I love the place but for my career the best move might be to move on so we’ll see.”
Frampton has played 24 games for Adelaide across five seasons.
MCKENNA ONLY INTERESTED IN VICTORIA RETURN
Irish star Conor McKenna is only interested in a return to the AFL via a Victorian club, reports SEN’s Sam Edmund.
It was revealed last month that the former Bomber was quitting his Gaelic club Tyrone to return to the AFL in 2023, with Geelong, Brisbane and Port Adelaide linked to the 26-year old.
However according to Edmund, McKenna is currently only eyeing a return to Victoria, which would rule the Lions and Power out of the mix.
“I’ve spoken to Brisbane about this, the Lions’ information about this is Conor McKenna wants to come back to Australia, but he doesn’t want to come back to any state, in fact, he wants to come back to Victoria. So that’s the initial feedback from them,” he said on SEN.
“They do have an interest and they have had an interest before, whether they’re playing it down or not, they don’t expect to be a factor when it comes to Connor McKenna.”
It comes after former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley cautioned potential suitors for McKenna, who departed Essendon at the end of 2020 after 79 games with a year to run on his contract due to homesickness.
Geelong veteran and fellow Irishman Zach Tuohy endorsed the club’s pursuit of McKenna, but said he hadn’t made any contact with him.
“I‘m not involved, but I would be interested (in helping get him to the club). He’s a top player,” he said.
“Any good player you can get to the club you want; the more Irish players the better, as far as I‘m concerned. An all-Irish half-backline would be pretty special.
“I haven‘t spoken to him, no. I’m probably a generation or two ahead of him. Maybe a few of the other young Irish boys have.”
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